We just had a big Legion build with the rebuilt Stormwind Park and Horde Broken Shore scenario, but there's a new round of merchandise and movie news! We have two discount codes, WOWHEADFUNKO for 15% off Funkos at the Blizzard Gear Shop, and WOWHEAD for free shipping on J!NX's new Overwatch merch. There was also the Q1 2016 Investors Call yesterday, a Legion Developer Update on Twitch on May 10th, and a character video on Khadgar with a lot of new shots.\r\r\r\rLegion Developer Update\rThere will be a Legion Developer Update on May 10th with Assistant Game Director Ion \u201cWatcher\u201d Hazzikostas and Jesse Cox.\r\rDevelopment of the World of Warcraft: Legion expansion is well underway, and we\u2019d like to take some time to update everyone on how things are progressing.\r\rAssistant Game Director Ion \u201cWatcher\u201d Hazzikostas will be joined by online gaming personality Jesse Cox to discuss a number of topics, including Class Halls, max-level content, the Demon Hunter, and a status update on what our next priorities are for Legion development.\r\rWe\u2019ll be going live at 9:00 AM Pacific\/12:00 PM Eastern time on the official World of Warcraft Twitch channel at twitch.tv\/Warcraft. We\u2019ll see you then!\r\r\rKhadgar Character Video\rThe fourth Warcraft character video is up! This one focuses on the mage Khadgar. The video is interesting because in early promotional materials, Khadgar was hidden. If you're familiar with the Warlords of Draenor Legendary Questline, you're used to seeing Khadgar as an old man so the video may come as a surprise!\r\r\r \r\rQ1 2016 Investor Call\rThe Q1 2016 Activision-Blizzard Earnings Call took place yesterday. Previously, these calls would be of great interest to WoW players as Blizzard would reveal the exact number of World of Warcraft subscribers. Blizzard recently stopped doing this, but the call is still useful as other numbers are highlighted and you can get a sense of Blizzard's overall business plan.\r\rPanser has a recap over at her YouTube channel:\r\r\rThe full report is on BusinessWire. Highlights include:\rFrom April 9-10, 2016, Blizzard\u2019s Heroes of the Dorm\u2122 collegiate tournament, featuring online team brawler Heroes of the Storm\u00ae, was live telecast on ESPN networks during prime time. The audience for the telecast grew 17% versus the 2015 championship.\rOn April 26, 2016, Blizzard released the third expansion for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Whispers of the Old Gods\u2122, which has 134 new collectible cards. Following the launch of the expansion, the game reached a record number of daily active users and hours per daily active user.\rOn May 24, 2016, Blizzard\u2019s team-based shooter, Overwatch\u2122, will be coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Early access to the open beta on all platforms began on May 3rd; the open beta test will run through May 9th and already has millions of people playing.\rOn August 30, 2016, Blizzard is expected to launch its highly anticipated World of Warcraft\u00ae expansion, Legion\u2122, following the Q2 release of the Warcraft film, produced by Legendary Pictures, in theaters worldwide. World of Warcraft remains the No. 1 subscription\u2010based MMORPG in the world.\rBlizzard Entertainment announced that its tenth BlizzCon\u00ae will be returning to the Anaheim Convention Center on Friday, November 4, and Saturday, November 5. Thousands of tickets again sold out in a matter of minutes.\r\r\rGear Shop Discount Code and New Merchandise\rThe Blizzard Gear Shop has recently added Overwatch and Warcraft Movie products to the shop.\rNew Overwatch items include: Hanzo Shirt, Genji Shirt, Overwatch-Themed Razer DeathAdder Chroma Mouse, Overwatch-Themed Razer BlackWidow Chroma Keyboard.\rNew Warcraft movie products include: Doomhammer Shirt, Frostwolf Shirt, Alliance Outline Shirt, Dorbz Figurines, and movie Funkos.\r\rIf you're in the mood to grow your POP! collection, our May 2016 discount code can help. Use discount code WOWHEADFUNKO to get 15% off all non-movie Funkos, mystery minis, and keychains from the Gear Shop. This includes the Arthas Keychain, Oversized Deathwing, Heroes of the Storm Mystery Minis, and Sylvanas Funko.\r\r\r\rJ!NX Overwatch Discount Code and New Merchandise\rJ!NX has launched a new line of Overwatch merchandise! Use discount code WOWHEAD to get free shipping on Overwatch merchandise! We know a lot of you are international and shipping costs can get quite high. This code is valid through May 2016.\r\rSome of the new t-shirts include Justice Will Be Done, Soldier 76, Cheers, Love!, and For The Good.\r\r

Comentarios

Comentario de Kenli85

on 2016-05-06T12:43:46-05:00

Khadgar is looking pretty cool. So much Hype!

Comentario de Interest

on 2016-05-06T12:47:45-05:00

I wonder if they'll show sub numbers after the Legion release. It's pretty much in the middle of Q3 but it could make for interesting extrapolation since apparently Legion hype in a high-skepticism environment is quite alive and well.

Comentario de Bavnemand

on 2016-05-06T13:13:38-05:00

What... In... The.... **** is that cgi-monstrocity? Is that supposed to be Gul'Dan? Hopefully he'll look better in the actual movie, because this is amateur cgi levels! CorridorDigital can make better animations than this!

Comentario de Lolus

I don't think they will share Legion subs, maybe copies sold (if it's a good number). They can just say "WoW is still number 1" again, which sounds fine and can't be proved.

Comentario de Warrieur

on 2016-05-06T14:42:07-05:00

Subscription based. Which mmorpg is subscription based anyway?

Comentario de Kadael

on 2016-05-06T15:31:20-05:00

I still think the casting for this movie is wrong. Both wizards just don't feel right to me and the effects don't seem up to todays standards set by other companies. Really, really odd.

Might just be me, doesn't seem right is all :(

Comentario de Vijhkal

on 2016-05-06T15:41:01-05:00

I agree with you. To me the only thing that doesn't look incredibly cheap in this movie are some of the CGI'ed Orcs. I'll still go watch it, but my expectations are very, very low.

Comentario de ahunter8056

on 2016-05-06T15:50:12-05:00

I don't know what you're all on about. Gul'dan looks exactly as he should do. The film is grittier than WoW's cartoony art style. CGI looks stunning and goes perfectly with the real people. Some people are just never satisfied. The majority of people are already prejudiced before even seeing the film, simply because of the track record film adaptations of games have. All I know is that I have faith that Warcraft will be the film to break the chain. The trailers look great, the cast are passionate, the director is an established success and as such knows what he's doing. I see no reason why this film will not be successful and I have faith that it will be an excellent film.

Comentario de SilverSapphire

on 2016-05-06T16:52:59-05:00

Subscription based. Which mmorpg is subscription based anyway?\r\rUm... this one?

Comentario de TutorialBlox

on 2016-05-06T16:56:01-05:00

Wait a second... khadgar is Bellular gaming? o.O

Comentario de Rankkor

on 2016-05-06T17:07:07-05:00

I wonder if they'll show sub numbers after the Legion release. It's pretty much in the middle of Q3 but it could make for interesting extrapolation since apparently Legion hype in a high-skepticism environment is quite alive and well.\r\rThey pretty much backed themselves into a corner when they decided to not announce subscribers again. They can't undo that decision without taking some massive flak.\r\rThe timing of their announcement that they wouldn't publish subs, came right when the game took the largest dip in subscribers in its entire history. Well over 5 million people gone. Even if they go back to above 10 million during legion, if they go ahead and publish subs again, it'll create a reputation of "Look, blizzard is hiding the sub numbers when they're too low, but they're bragging about them when they're too high".\r\rIt'll create a rather nasty reputation of a company that is only open with its information when the times are good, but keeps things under wraps when the times are bad. For good or ill, they just can't publish subs anymore. Even if Legion happens to be a massive success and they somehow get like 15 million subs.

Comentario de Dementron

on 2016-05-06T17:21:07-05:00

"highly anticipated World of Warcraft\u00ae expansion, Legion\u2122"

Not by me it isn't. I'm still dreading the massive class pruning, to the point I'm not sure I'm going to still enjoy playing the game.

It's gradually been getting a little better. I mean, non-tank specs got back taunts, non-healing specs got back rezzes (excep mass rez), I think warriors got back Charge. But... it looks my BM hunter isn't going to get her traps or Camoflauge back, my enh\/resto shaman isn't getting his elementals back, my druid main is still going to have to choose between a bunch of formerly baseline abilities thanks to affinity talents, and a ton of other cuts won't be fixed or compensated for.

I desperately want Legion to be good, but almost everything I read about it just makes me sad.

Comentario de tiggerbox29

on 2016-05-06T17:22:24-05:00

I cringed looking at those still photos of the wow movie and i must say i really do have a deep sense of foreboding which doesnt bode well.

Comentario de Alkharon

on 2016-05-06T17:53:47-05:00

Loving the Reinhardt "Justice Will Be Done" tee. I am not too sure how important in the lore of Overwatch he is, but it took one game in the open beta for me to instantly fall in love with the role, style and look to this character

Comentario de Interest

on 2016-05-06T18:09:03-05:00

Subscription based. Which mmorpg is subscription based anyway?

WoW, Runescape, FF14, and EVE Online come to mind.

I wonder if they'll show sub numbers after the Legion release. It's pretty much in the middle of Q3 but it could make for interesting extrapolation since apparently Legion hype in a high-skepticism environment is quite alive and well.

They pretty much backed themselves into a corner when they decided to not announce subscribers again. They can't undo that decision without taking some massive flak.

The timing of their announcement that they wouldn't publish subs, came right when the game took the largest dip in subscribers in its entire history. Well over 5 million people gone. Even if they go back to above 10 million during legion, if they go ahead and publish subs again, it'll create a reputation of "Look, blizzard is hiding the sub numbers when they're too low, but they're bragging about them when they're too high".

It'll create a rather nasty reputation of a company that is only open with its information when the times are good, but keeps things under wraps when the times are bad. For good or ill, they just can't publish subs anymore. Even if Legion happens to be a massive success and they somehow get like 15 million subs.

On the other hand, Blizzard is a corporation and apparently loves to behave like one (still beating the drum on overpriced goods and services here) who has gotten a little too brazen lately. I could see them pulling a Konami, Nintendo, etc and simply not giving a $%^& since in some ways that is precisely how their behavior can be perceived. Besides, announcing they're doing well goes well with the shareholders and gets major headlines. That in itself might help to drown out skepticism and cries of outrage.

Edit: Point is the "Blizzard's reputation will get damaged" argument is already marred by them doing things that damage their reputation that are easily fixed.

Comentario de Superczar

on 2016-05-06T18:22:13-05:00

The guy playing Khadgar looks all wrong, looks "amateurish" and unseasoned.

Comentario de sniperorc

on 2016-05-06T18:57:20-05:00

The guy playing Khadgar looks all wrong, looks "amateurish" and unseasoned.\r\rIn the game\/novel continuity, he's 17 and just wrapping up his junior apprenticeship when the Kirin Tor sends him to Karazhan to apprentice with Medivh. So, yeah, "amateurish and unseasoned" would be appropriate.\r\rDon't know if that's applicable to the movie storyline. We don't know how far back his acquaintance with the other heroes goes.

Comentario de thebdc

on 2016-05-06T19:08:32-05:00

The still shots of the trailer remind me of the old Command & Conquer cutscenes. Real humans in front of crappy rendered backgrounds. At least it doesn't look as bad in motion. Still feels cheap, though, like the Hercules and Xena shows from the late 1990s.

And what's with the ^&*!ed up lighting in shots 1, 5, and 6?

Comentario de deathslover

on 2016-05-06T20:35:30-05:00

OMFG that womans voice in the video is very shredding on my ears..... (and sorry its my first time watching trade chat)